Building Your Character
Everything you need to create your first hero in Einsol's Razor — step by step, no experience required. Start at Level Zero and advance when you're ready.
What You'll Need
Pencil & Eraser
For recording your choices
Dice Set
d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d100
Core Rule Book
For reference during play
New to TTRPGs? A character is your persona in the game — the hero you'll play as. Think of it like creating a character in a video game, but with unlimited possibilities. This guide walks you through every choice.
Character Creation Overview
Creating your character happens in three core steps at Level Zero, with an optional fourth when you advance to Level 1.
Level Zero — Recommended for New Players
Choose Your Genotype
Your character’s species and genetic heritage
Select Your Background
Past profession, skills, and starting equipment
Assign Ability Scores
How strong, smart, quick, and charismatic you are
Stay at Level 0 • or • Advance to Level 1
Level 1 — Advance When Ready
Pick Your Base Class
Your character's specialized training and combat role
What is Level Zero?
Level Zero establishes your character's foundations and focuses on character development, party dynamics and relationships, and becoming comfortable with the rules in a simpler environment. When you're ready, advance to Level 1 and choose your Class.
Choose Your Genotype
Your Genotype is your character's species and genetic heritage — the fundamental building blocks of who they are. Are you human? An elf? A cybernetic construct? This choice shapes your physical traits and natural abilities.
What Your Genotype Determines
Base Hit Points
Your starting health — higher HP means more resilience
Size & Speed
Small, Medium, or Large. How far you move per turn
Senses
Vision, hearing, smell — darkvision, enhanced auditory, etc.
Ability Score Bonuses
Natural stat bonuses that make you better at certain things
Unique Traits
Special powers, resistances, or abilities only your species has
Longevity
How long your species typically lives — affects worldview
Optional Modifications
Some Genotypes are compatible with Ancestral Lineages or Genetic Splicing. These are optional choices that modify your base traits. We recommend skipping these for your first character.
Select Your Background
Your Background represents your character's past — their profession, upbringing, and life experiences before adventuring. Were you a street-smart hacker? A corporate assassin? A wasteland scavenger?
What Your Background Provides
Skill Aptitudes
Proficiency in specific skills — choose from your background’s list
Toolkit Aptitudes
Hacking, Medkit, Smithing, Disguise, and more
Languages
Common (Franterra) plus additional Modern or Ancient languages
Starting Equipment
Armor, weapons, cybernetics, credits, and narrative items
Magic Users: Choose Carefully!
To use magic beyond Level 0, you must choose “Magic” as one of your Skill Aptitudes during this step. If you don't select it now, you won't be able to cast spells at higher levels. Not sure? Pick it anyway — you can always choose not to pursue it later, but you can't add it back.
Magic at Level Zero
Good news! At Level 0, everyone can experiment with basic magic, regardless of whether you plan to be a dedicated Spell Weaver:
- ◆You start with 5 Arcane Points (ARC) — your magical energy
- ◆You can learn up to 4 Innate Level Spells
- ◆Each Spell costs 1 ARC to cast
- ◆Your magic uses your Cognition Modifier
- ◆If you chose a non-magic Class at Level 1, you keep these spells but won’t learn higher level ones
Languages
Languages on Adamah have evolved beyond their original ties to specific Genotypes and are now deeply intertwined with the geographical and cultural locations where they are spoken.
All characters start with Franterra, the “Common” language of Adamah, and depending on where they grew up they would pick up additional languages.
For more information and a complete breakdown of alphabets and pronunciation for languages, see the GM's Source Material.
Learning New Languages
To learn a new language you must spend time studying it and pass a Linguistics Skill Check against the Language's DC. See Language Table below.
Step 1: Study Hard!
You must find a source to study the language from:
- ◆Teachers
- ◆Books and Online Classes
- ◆You can even have your fellow players teach you their languages!
Step 2: Linguistics Checks!
Now that you have a source to learn from, you can make a Skill Check against the Language's DC:
Linguistics Skill Check + Number of Long Rests spent studying the language.
Success: You have learned a new Language.
Failure: You can try again after a Long Rest.
Language Table
Modern Languages
| Language | Origin | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Aerlyish | United Aerlyth Federation | 10 |
| Alnirish | Sovereign Elven Dominion of Alnira | 14 |
| Braille | Everywhere *Written only | 15 |
| Cogtongue | City-State Gnomish Subculture | 12 |
| Ephemeral Tongue | Ephemeral Expanse | 15 |
| Enorneze | Holy Kingdom of Enoch | 18 |
| Franterra (Common) | Everywhere | 8 |
| Gearscript | GnomeStead 2.0 | 15 |
| Glacialyn | Indigo Permafrost | 16 |
| Khazgrun | Eastern Dwôrven Republic | 14 |
| Liltstride | Halfling Subculture | 12 |
| Machine Language | Most Places | 20 |
| Orish | Li'en | 15 |
| Sign Language | Most Places | 18 |
| Sylvan | The Verdant Haven | 15 |
Ancient Languages
| Language | Origin | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Aztrolari | Celestial Stratum | 24 |
| Durinkhâld | Norv-Na (Dwôrvish) | 18 |
| Einspeak | Old Storvhall (Human) | 17 |
| Glimmertongue | Bailbor (Gnomish) | 16 |
| Rootword | Ancient Halfling | 16 |
| Shareyn’s Speech | — | 30 |
| Sylvaneth | Xa-Tor (Old Elvish) | 20 |
| Travoglyph | Infernal Planes | 24 |
Assign Ability Scores
Ability Scores represent your character's natural capabilities — like stats in a video game. They determine how strong, smart, quick, and charismatic your character is.
Ability Scores & Skills — Full Reference →The Six Core Abilities
Strength
Physical power, melee combat, carrying capacity
Agility
Speed, reflexes, dodging, stealth
Endurance
Health, stamina, resistance to poison & disease
Cognition
Intelligence, problem-solving, technology use
Intuition
Awareness, perception, reading people & situations
Charm
Personality, persuasion, leadership
Point Buy Method (Recommended)
Your Game Master will tell you which method to use. Point Buy is the most common:
- 1. All six Abilities start at 6.
- 2. You have 28 points to spend raising them.
- 3. Use the cost chart below.
- 4. You cannot raise any Ability above 12 at Level 0.
| Ability Score | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
Example: “Nova” the Hacker
Nova wants to be a tech-savvy hacker, so she prioritizes Cognition and Agility:
COG 12 (9 pts) • AGI 10 (5 pts) • INT 10 (5 pts) • END 9 (4 pts) • CHA 8 (3 pts) • STR 6 (0 pts)
Total: 26 of 28 points spent — 2 points left to raise CHA to 9.
Don't forget Genotype bonuses! If Nova is a Jìnhuà Elf with +2 COG, her final Cognition becomes 14.
Standard Array
Assign these pre-set scores: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 6
Rolling Dice
Roll 3d6, drop the lowest die, repeat 6 times. Assign as desired.
Ability Score Modifiers
Once you have your scores, determine your Ability Modifiers — the bonuses (or penalties) you actually use in the game. Higher score = better modifier.
| Score Range | 4–5 | 6–7 | 8–10 | 11–13 | 14–16 | 17–19 | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modifier | -1 | +0 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +5 |
Defense Modifiers
Your Ability Modifiers combine into three Defense scores that help you resist attacks and harmful effects:
Fortitude
STR + END
Resisting poison, disease, physical trauma
Reflex
AGI + COG
Dodging attacks, avoiding traps, attack rolls
Will Power
INT + CHA
Resisting mental effects, channeling magic
Pick Your Base Class
Once you've completed Steps 1–3, your Level 0 character is ready to play! When you're comfortable with the rules and your GM says you've earned enough experience, advance to Level 1 and choose a Base Class.
At Level 1, you'll:
- ◆Choose a Base Class (your character’s specialized training)
- ◆Gain additional Hit Points based on your HP Dice
- ◆Learn new Abilities and Base Class Feats
- ◆Gain your first Aptitude Point and Aptitude Dice
Optional: Persona Customization
These optional choices add depth to your character's personality and backstory. We recommend skipping these for your first character, but they're here if you want more.
Personality Archetype
A core trait, motivation, and behavioral tendency that offers daily bonuses.
Past Trauma / Life Event
Shapes your history with minor penalties that can be overcome through play.
Alignment
A 3-axis moral, ethical, and behavioral compass.
Religion & Spirituality
Faith and belief systems that connect you to the world of Adamah.
Ready to Begin?
The Character Creator walks you through every choice digitally — or use this guide with a printed character sheet. Either way, your adventure starts now.